Alessio Lisci: "It's One of the Toughest Away Trips We Have Left"

Osasuna head coach Alessio Lisci spoke to reporters ahead of his team's match against Valencia, scheduled for tomorrow at Mestalla Stadium at 4:15 p.m. local time.

The Italian coach said the team is focused only on securing a positive result. "Tomorrow we go to Mestalla to try to win. I don't really care about anything else; we want to win or at least take a point," he said.

Then addressed the team's mindset following their recent win over Real Madrid, noting that the focus must remain on the upcoming fixture.

"We're confident, but we have to forget about the Real Madrid result. I told the team as soon as we returned to training that we need to move on," Lisci said when asked about the squad's mentality. "It had been years since we beat them, but in the end, it's just three points, not six."

He added that the players need to stay level-headed in the wake of such a high-profile victory. "This weekend, it's another three points on the line. We have to be cold-blooded and train well, which is what we've done this week. After a great win, people say a big failure can come the next weekend, so we have to go out tomorrow and play a great game," Lisci said.

The 40-year-old emphasized the importance of matching Valencia's urgency in the battle for points.

"The key is to match Valencia's need for points. We haven't achieved anything yet, and if you slip up for two games, you have everyone right behind you again. Maybe you're not in the relegation zone, but you could be just three points away, and then everything changes," Lisci said. "Teams that are successful are those able to play every match, whether coming off a win or a loss, with the same hunger. That's where we need to be—approaching this as if we had lost to Real Madrid and were coming off three straight defeats," he added.

The Rojillo gaffer also analyzed Valencia's strengths, highlighting the team's tactical clarity and depth up front.

"Valencia is a well-coached team with clear ideas. They know how to draw you in, attack deep when they see an opening, and can hurt you on the wings and through the middle. There's a lot of variety to their game," he said. "They have important options off the bench in attack, though they're a bit short at the back due to injuries. It's a game that will play out over the full 90 minutes with the substitutions."

Lisci added that playing at Mestalla presents its own challenges. "There's also the factor of the stadium and their fans. Mestalla is like our ground—the crowd gives them points over a season. For me, it's one of the toughest away trips we have left," he said.